The Glendale Philharmonic Orchestra opens its 2013-2014 season Oct. 6 at the First Baptist Church of Glendale, and they have let the concert go to the dogs.

The dogs in question belong to comedian Elayne Boosler, whose concert piece “Rescue — A True Story,” with narration by Boosler and music by composer Carol Worthey written for clarinet, piano and cello, will be premiered.

The Trio Da Mare E Sole: clarinetist Dr. Julia Heinen, Russian cellist and founder of the Glendale Philharmonic Orchestra Ruslan Biryukov, and pianist Dmitry Rachmanov will be the featured performers.

The concert will also include Eight Pieces for Clarinet, Cello and Piano by Max Bruch, and Beethoven’s Trio in B-flat Major.

“Rescue” is a musical narrative about a dog’s rescue, which Boosler hopes she will be able to take on tour.

“We are all hoping to tour different cities with this work, to raise money and awareness for rescue in each city,” Boosler said.

“When I tour myself, I sell all my after-show merchandise, all made specifically for my Tails of Joy (www.tailsofjoy.net), for the benefit of several rescues in each city. “

Rescue volunteers are guests of Boosler’s show.

“They meet the locals, they sell their own merchandise, too, and at the end, I leave all the money behind for them, and leave them with a higher profile in their own communities,” she said. “We hope to continue that by playing with orchestras in different cities.”

Boosler, who has been involved in dog rescue since 1996, said it took her 17 years to write this work.

“I wrote the story first,” she said. “The music was then composed to serve the initial story. After seeing how the music and story interplayed, I made changes all along the way.

This is the first piece ever written for cello, piano, clarinet and comedian, she added.

“It’s incredible how sometimes the music sets the words up for a punchline, and sometimes the words are paid off with music,” Boosler said. “Ruslan Biryukov, when he initiated this, wanted to do something with comedy and music. I was delighted to discover while working that you can set up jokes and punchlines with the right music. Like a comedy team!”

“Music is a positive carrier of emotion,” said composer Worthey in a press release. “‘Rescue—A True Story’ takes the listener to a place where heart and humor meet.

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“With each note I imagined, I felt as though I was looking into the eyes of my own rescue dogs, (Sophie and Winston) who found their forever home with me. Knowing I had three world class performers whose artistry would express every nuance in the score, I wanted to provide just the right touches of fire and delicacy. I have no doubt you will leave the theater with a full heart.”

Boosler, of course, has her own family of dogs.

“My current dogs are a pitbull/attorney mix. The pittie needed to get a law degree to defend himself against racial profiling. People can be so misinformed!” Boosler wrote.

“I also have a black lab/vacuum cleaner mix, a tan fluffy paper shredder, a pittie/weimaraner/CPA (she knows exactly how many cookies are in the bag, and also does our taxes), and a standard poodle who walks around in curlers all day, even in front of company; shameful.”

Sunday’s concert is the first of three scheduled by the Glendale Philharmonic. On Nov. 4 at the chuch, “An Night of Premiers” will feature the Glendale Philharmonic Trio and Quartet and the Los Angeles Cello Quartet in the world premiers of Daniel Gall’s “The Greatt Escape;” “John Lee Hooker and Joseph Haydn Correspondence” by Alexander Zamchuznikov; and the Los Angeles premiere of Alfred Schnittke’s Piano Trio.

On Jan. 5, the “Holiday Gala” will feature comedian Emo Phillips reading commentary to Saint-Saens’ “Carnival of the Animals” with Maestro Frank Fetta conducting. Also on the program is the world premier of composer Sharon Farber’s Cello Concerto with Ruslan Biryukov as cello soloist.